Juventus Poach Çelik from Roma as Transfer Deal Collapses

Roma's departure of Zeki Çelik has forced the club to accelerate plans in the transfer market. Moreira remains the primary target to strengthen the wide positions, and Roma have agreed personal terms with the Belgian player: a contract worth €2.5 million per season. However, Strasbourg are holding firm on their valuation and have not budged despite intervention from agent Mendes, who has been working to persuade the French club to reduce their asking price. Strasbourg are demanding between €40 million and €50 million, while Roma are unwilling to exceed €30 million, leaving a significant gap between the two clubs. The impasse has prompted Roma's recruitment team to begin exploring alternative options. Molina has emerged as a right-back target under consideration, though he is expected to wait until the end of the World Cup before making a decision on his future. Roma will need to recruit at least one more full-back beyond Moreira to address the defensive depth required following Çelik's exit.

Zeki Çelik departed AS Roma for Juventus on 16 July on a free transfer, a move that caught both the fanbase and the club's leadership off guard. Roma had expected the Turkish right-back to remain in the capital to sign a contract extension. Juventus announced his arrival, sparking backlash across social media. Flavio Cobolli, a prominent Roma supporter, responded by sharing a photograph on Instagram of Devyne Rensch in tears at the moment he signed with Roma in January 2025. Cobolli captioned the post "Forza Roma" and paired it with the track "Roma (non si discute, si ama)" by Antonello Venditti, the post quickly went viral among the fanbase. The contrast between Çelik's unexpected exit and Rensch's emotional commitment to the club became a focal point of fan sentiment.

Crysencio Summerville has signalled his willingness to join Roma, with a fresh round of talks scheduled for 17 July to finalise contract terms. The Dutch winger, who scored in the World Cup opener against Japan, has been Roma's primary target since January, and head coach Gian Piero Gasperini has made him his top choice. Roma are ready to table an official offer to West Ham once personal terms are agreed. Negotiations have intensified since the World Cup, with Summerville's representatives reportedly reducing their initial demands. Roma are prepared to offer €45 million for the transfer fee and €4 million annually in salary, significantly lower than West Ham's earlier €50 million valuation and the player's original €5.5–6 million wage requests. A definitive answer is expected by Monday, 20 July. The player's agents met Roma's leadership on 14 July to confirm the club's interest, and subsequent meetings have focused on narrowing economic gaps between the parties. West Ham's contract contains a release clause, which has prevented the English club from setting a fixed asking price. Roma must complete the agreement with Summerville before submitting a formal bid to West Ham, though Summerville has reportedly prioritised the giallorossi over competing interest from other clubs.

Roma's departure of Zeki Çelik has forced the club to accelerate plans in the transfer market. Moreira remains the primary target to strengthen the wide positions, and Roma have agreed personal terms with the Belgian player: a contract worth €2.5 million per season. However, Strasbourg are holding firm on their valuation and have not budged despite intervention from agent Mendes, who has been working to persuade the French club to reduce their asking price. Strasbourg are demanding between €40 million and €50 million, while Roma are unwilling to exceed €30 million, leaving a significant gap between the two clubs. The impasse has prompted Roma's recruitment team to begin exploring alternative options. Molina has emerged as a right-back target under consideration, though he is expected to wait until the end of the World Cup before making a decision on his future. Roma will need to recruit at least one more full-back beyond Moreira to address the defensive depth required following Çelik's exit.

Zeki Çelik departed AS Roma for Juventus on 16 July on a free transfer, a move that caught both the fanbase and the club's leadership off guard. Roma had expected the Turkish right-back to remain in the capital to sign a contract extension. Juventus announced his arrival, sparking backlash across social media. Flavio Cobolli, a prominent Roma supporter, responded by sharing a photograph on Instagram of Devyne Rensch in tears at the moment he signed with Roma in January 2025. Cobolli captioned the post "Forza Roma" and paired it with the track "Roma (non si discute, si ama)" by Antonello Venditti, the post quickly went viral among the fanbase. The contrast between Çelik's unexpected exit and Rensch's emotional commitment to the club became a focal point of fan sentiment.

Zeki Çelik completed his move to Juventus on a three-year contract worth 4 million euros per season (including bonuses) after undergoing medical tests, marking the latest in a painful succession of Roma departures to their Serie A rivals. The Turkish right-back leaves after four seasons and 151 appearances, during which he scored two goals. His exit was particularly difficult for head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who was already expecting him at Trigoria. The Roma-Juventus transfer axis has been a recurring wound in the club's history. In summer 1970, under president Alvaro Marchini, three key players departed simultaneously: defender Luciano Spinosi, midfielder Fabio Capello, and forward Fausto Landini. The bleeding continued through the decades with goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, forward Daniel Fonseca (1997), and others following suit. The most traumatic period came in summer 2004, immediately after Roma's title challenge under Fabio Capello: Juventus acquired French defender Jonathan Zebina on a free transfer and Brazilian midfielder Emerson for approximately 28 million euros, the latter's departure accompanied by jeers at the Olimpico. More recent transfers have compounded Roma's pain. Midfielder Miralem Pjanic departed in 2016 after Juventus triggered his 32-million-euro release clause. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who spent two seasons on loan at Roma from Arsenal, joined Juventus permanently. In January 2012, centre-forward Marco Borriello moved to Turin on loan and scored a decisive goal in their title-winning campaign.

Rome's radio stations have analysed Roma's transfer window, with particular focus on midfielder Manu Koné's potential departure. A €53 million fee for Koné was discussed across multiple programmes, with opinions divided on whether the club should sell. Nando Orsi stated: "For 53 million, Koné lo porto a cavacecio: it's a good price", while Alessandro Vocalelli called Koné "the most irreplaceable player at Roma" and said he would not let him leave if possible. Luigi Ferrajolo deemed the €53 million figure "roughly in line with his value" but questioned whether Roma should lose Koné, Svilar, or Wesley instead. Transfer activity elsewhere dominated discussion. Francesco Balzani predicted Moreira would be Roma's first completed signing, with the club having "given the player the right value" and planning a future resale. Summerville remains a target but negotiations have stalled—the player continues to demand over €5 million per season in wages. Piero Torri suggested Moreira and Summerville are not alternatives but complementary signings, with Moreira capable of playing multiple positions. Lorenzo Pes noted that Gasperini wants two attacking wingers and that Moreira's modest wage demand aids negotiations, though Summerville's situation requires further work. Contract extensions were also covered: Bryan Cristante extended his deal by one year, while Gianluca Mancini added two years, though Mancini received a minor salary increase. Pes suggested Gasperini may be avoiding overly long contracts to maintain tactical flexibility.

Roma expect to receive a €53 million offer from Manchester United for midfielder Manu Koné, according to Rio Ferdinand. The club is not denying the likely departure of the French midfielder, who will first play the third-place playoff for England before considering his options with his representatives. Though a move to Paris Saint-Germain remains his preference, a Premier League offer would be difficult to refuse. For Roma, selling Koné is necessary to generate a substantial profit of around €40 million and resolve their UEFA dispute. With difficulties surrounding moves for Matías Soulé and Wesley, and a wall around Radosław Żelezny, Koné represents the only realistic path to that figure. Roma's coaching staff is already compiling replacement options. Celtic's Engels, 22, stands out as a primary target. At 1.85 metres tall with excellent technical ability, he offers significant dynamism, game vision, and strong insertion runs. His cost is estimated at €20–25 million. Danilo Santos of Botafogo is valued at €30–35 million and shares more tactical similarities with Koné—standing 177 cm and weighing 70 kg, he compensates for a lean frame with ball-recovery abilities, smart distribution, and clean passing. Other names under consideration include Camara of Monaco, priced at €40 million after a strong Ligue 1 campaign, and Varela of Porto. Both represent higher investment priorities for other areas of the pitch at present.

Roma have opened talks to sign Endrick from Real Madrid on loan as they look to bolster their attacking options. The 21-year-old Brazilian has fallen down the pecking order at the Bernabéu and is available to leave, having recently completed a six-month loan spell at Lyon under Fonseca where he scored 7 goals in 19 matches. Endrick would reunite with fellow Brazilian Wesley at the Giallorossi and is open to the move. Real Madrid are unwilling to sell permanently and prefer to loan the player out with a fee attached, allowing them to assess his future prospects. Roma would be interested on those terms but want to include a redemption clause with a buyback option favouring Real Madrid. The structure suits the capital club financially as they attempt to add depth to their forward line. However, the move faces a potential obstacle: José Mourinho intends to further evaluate Endrick before committing to bringing him in, keen to test whether he fits the team's tactical needs for the coming season.